Lourdes beat Mount Vernon 59-58 on a deep 3 by Emily Forzano with five seconds left. The win all but clinched the No. 1 seed in the Class AA playoffs for the Warriors, who, at 16-2, have just Beacon and Poughkeepsie left on its schedule. MV now has three losses and with a decent finish will be seeded No. 2.
The outcome also ended Mount Vernon’s 29-game regular-season winning streak against Section 1 opponents. The Knights’ last loss to a Section 1 team came on Feb. 9, 2007, in their regular-season finale against Scarsdale. (They are also 6-2 in playoff games over that span, their only two losses coming the championship games against White Plains.)
But enough about seedings and records. Let’s get to the game.
Mount Vernon led 10-0 to start the game and held a five point lead at the half. Two of its key players, Taylor Palmer and Tatiana Lewin, who has played great of late, both picked up two fouls in the first quarter and sat the rest of the half. (So did Taneka Whittaker for Lourdes.) The Knights were also without Lubirdia Gordon, who had a cyst removed from her right shoulder and will miss the next two weeks.
Patrice-Wallace Moore told me after that she was happy MV stayed in front despite missing those key pieces. Eventually, however, the Knights fell behind in the third quarter. Lewin picked up her fourth foul and went back to the bench, pushing Palmer to the power forward spot. With that lineup, Lourdes did a good job of negating MV’s biggest advantage (rebounding), and it gained control for the first time in the game.
The lead changed hands in the fourth quarter. (It should be noted that Lourdes missed star Kim Dweck, who missed the last couple minutes of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth with leg cramps, but returned for the final six minutes.) Mount Vernon appeared to take control for good when Sade King, its freshman point guard, made a big 3 to put the Knights up 54-49. Whittaker, who had just six points, answered with her only basket of the game, a 3 from the left corner. Rachel Crittenden later made a pair of free throws to tie the score. (She also played very strong in the paint, boxing out and grabbing rebounds. Crittenden helped “hold” Shanyce Stewart to nine rebounds today, which is quite a feat these days.)
Finally, Mount Vernon had the ball and called timeout with 21 seconds left. The score was tied 56-56 and I suspected that the Knights would take the last shot, thus giving themselves a chance to win or go to OT, and rendering a loss as an impossibility. Obviously, the ending unfolded in a worst-case scenario for them. Palmer was fouled on a drive to the hoop with 15 seconds left and made her pair of free throws, but Lourdes had a chance to hit the winning 3.
It’s an interesting scenario to be sure. I asked Wallace-Moore what she told her team during the timeout. She told the players to hold for one, but “to attack if you have an opening.” Palmer attacked. She even made her free throws. But it still didn’t work out.
If you’re from Mount Vernon, the ending was tough to handle at the moment. There is no greater dagger than losing in the final seconds — but in most cases you’d take the two-point lead with a few seconds left and trust your defense. Too bad for MV that Forzano drained a 25-footer, but some times you have to give the other team credit, too.
Were you there? I know many were. It was a big crowd for a Saturday morning. Let us know what you thought.
I’ll tell you: Lourdes will move ahead of Mount Vernon in this afternoon’s Top 10, but not far ahead. The teams are comparable, but not evenly matched. If they meet again, a lot will depend on the style of the game. Is it fast or slow? Is it called tight? Are the shots falling? (Lourdes probably has more depth and takes better care of the ball, but Mount Vernon has a more balanced lineup with everyone on the floor.)
Who do you think is the favorite? Did this change your opinion?
Stats:
Mount Vernon —
Palmer 17 points
Stewart 10 points, 9 rebounds
Carece Moore 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists
Lewin 5 points
King 13 points, 3 3-pointers
Lourdes —
Kim Dweck 19 points
Forzano 12 points, 2 3-pointers
Crittenden 8 points
Whittaker 6 points, 1 field goal
22 Comments
Who else did Lourdes lose to besides Albertus Magnus?
Thanks.
They lost to Catholic Central (Troy, NY). Score was 70 to 67
I was at the game, but it sounds like you might have dozed off a few times. Kim Dweck, the high scorer of the game, was sinking jumpers,giving assists to Emily Forzano, and playing a defense that caused Taylor Palmer to miss several of her jump shots in the second half. She did a little bit more than “leave the game in the third quarter with a leg cramp”...she made a DIFFERENCE.
bball lover…Did I say she played poorly? I merely indicated that Mount Vernon was hampered by foul trouble. But I was also noting, to be fair, that Lourdes dealt with foul trouble to Whittaker and an injury to Dweck. In what way did I discredit Dweck? I think I’m missing something.
Not to knock Lourdes, but it should be taken into account that a lot of their wins are due to being moved back into a weak League 2-North this year, with Ossining being the only AA school they play. I think MV has had a tougher schedule, no?
Lourdes plays 7 games this season vs AA schools: Poughkeepsie (2), Ossining (2), Mount Vernon, Yorktown, and Arlington.
Observer,
I was referring to AA teams in League 2-North that Lourdes has played. I mentioned Ossining, but overlooked Poughkeepsie. Thanks for the heads up!
Yes lourdes may have only played only a few AA teams, but if you look at the rest of their schedule they have played teams with the same if not more skill and talent. And Josh Thompson all I was stating is that you didn’t give Dweck the props she deserve, she is an excellent ball player.
Dweck had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assist(including the assist that won the game. She is able to do things off the dribble. She was the best player on the floor PERIOD
bball lover and Golden Hooper,
Enough already. Who said anything negitive about Dweck. Your are stiring your own pot. Josh just was saying that both sides lost key players for a period of time in the game. Perhaps Lourdes should feel lucky to get the win. If MV holds the ball a little longer and gets the last shot off with say 5 seconds left, it would be a different result.
bball lover Golden Hooper – T-E-A-M
There are many things that had to happen on that floor for Lourdes to win, all of the players did their part. It isn’t because of one person that Lourdes won. Both teams played strong. It’s in poor taste to be “tooting your own horn”, better to be humble. The fans at the game saw what happened (and most aren’t reading this).
Josh you’ve been great with your rap ups!
I was at the game, and was surprised at how sparse the crowd was. I know it was a Saturday noon game, but I have seen more people at JV games.
Dweck was the best player on the floor. She is very, very good, and I would give her the nod over Palmer, tho I think they may be the two best guards in the section.
No way Shanyce Stewart only had 9 rebounds. I think she makes some of her outlet passes to quickly for the scoring table to coutn the ‘bond.
Not only did she have more like 15 rebounds, she made two highlight film plays. Early in the game, she blocked a shot, caught the rebound in the air and threw a downcourt pass that resulted on a no dribble layup. Late in the game, she and a Lourdes player both had the ball momentarily, and Stewart basically flipped the other player over her shoulder while taking the ball up for a layin.
And opening or no opening, I was shocked that Palmer attacked so early. No way MV should have ever let Lourdes have time to bring the ball down and shoot an open 3.
I would expect to see these two play again, hopefully at the County Center.
bball lover,
Lourdes is playing in a WEAK League 2-north this year. If you notice, they pretty much blown out all the teams in this league.
To bball lover and golden hooper:
It is great to be proud of your child but give credit to the whole team. No one on the team would make a basket if someone else didn’t pass the ball. Look what happens when players try to be the whole team – they lose. That is what happens at some of the games and don’t you think that college coaches don’t see this when they scout high school games. It is unfair and cruel to the other players on the team to think that your child is the only reason the team is winning! If you call yourself an educator you should know that everyone is important.
HOw does the MV coach attack with 15 seconds left??
Nothing more fun that watching parents bicker! Give it a rest and stop living through your kids!!!!!
What we saw this weekend is that the top 2 or 3 teams in AA are very close and either one could win the sectional title. Unlike with the AM game when things started badly for OLL they were able to stablize the game and fought back and won the game. They are growing as a team. The soft schedule does hurt them by creating bad habits against the weaker teams, but it was section 1’s idea to put them in this league. So you can’t blame them.
Ursuline may give OLL problems. I expect Ursuline to dominate the boards, and they have good young guard play lead by Ray. OLL is very talented but I would give the edge to U
Slampunk, Dweck and Wittaker will shut shannon ray down.
If didn’t know better I would think that OLL loss the game, the way you parents are acting. Keep that stuff up in Dutchess.
Josh Thomson,
is there a reason for Teneka Whittaker bad performs(6 pts)? Whats happened there I wasnt there and I know she is a great player so what is the reason?
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